This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Valdosta chapter.
Ok, so first I want to say this can apply to anybody, not just people who are getting their first tattoo. I definitely just started following some of these tips and I’ve been getting tattooed for 5 years now. Getting a permanent piece of art placed on your body is always exciting, but aside from the permanence you should really take into consideration what you want and try to get the best version of that. My first tattoo was a palm sized Yin and Yang symbol and although I love it, I know that I could have a gotten a more well thought out design had I done some research beforehand. Today I’m going to provide that information for you in hopes that you end up with something that you will cherish forever.
Decide what you want
Coming up with an idea is hard but there are so many different outlets to aid you in making something unique. Pinterest is my favorite because it gives you ideas to GO OFF OF. It’s alright to get inspired, but you should never just blatantly copy someone’s tattoo. If you find some images that you like but are still having trouble you can then find a tattoo artist to draw up an idea for you. Your first tattoo doesn’t have to be something that you thought about for an extensive amount of time or something with meaning, but it would help in decreasing the probability of you regretting it.
Decide where you want it
Placement is everything! If you don’t plan on having a lot of/relatively big tattoos then you have quite a few options to choose from. If, however, you decide that you might want a sleeve or an entire back piece at some point in your life you might want to plan around that. (to refrain from having a large area filled with something small) These can be harder to work around in your future tattoo plans.
Find a shop/artist
This is the most important part. You can have a pretty awesome idea for a tattoo but if you choose a shop or an artist who isn’t reputable you can walk out with something you seriously regret. Try and find qualities ( i.e. thick vs thin line work, color vs black and grey… etc.) or a style that you like (i.e. Traditional, Japanese, Realism, Blackwork…etc.) and try and find an artist/shop, either in your area or in a near by city, who’s work reflects that style. (I don’t recommend going somewhere that is not a licensed shop.)
Save up money
This is something that you could have started before you knew what you wanted or after you decided on a shop and an and artist, it’s up to you. Most shops have a base price for tattoos and it increases by hour (therefore asking how much a tattoo will be, will not get you a straight answer)
Make an appointment
You can set up an appointment in different ways. You can pick a day that works best for you and your artist. Or, if your tattoo is large enough you can choose to do the tattoo in sessions (which is simply completing parts of the tattoo on different days, so that you can pay in portions rather than the entire amount.)
I do think you should take time to come up with something you would really enjoy and resonate with, but I also feel like you shouldn’t sweat it too much. Life is too short..also that’s why they invented cover-ups and tattoo removal.
-HCXO!
